Movies by Pepe Serna

Flamin' Hot

Flamin' Hot

The inspiring true story of Richard Montañez, the Frito Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to turn the iconic Flamin' Hot Cheetos into a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon.

American Me

American Me

During his 18 years in Folsom Prison, street-gang leader Santana rules over all the drug-and-murder activities behind bars. Upon his release, Santana goes back to his old neighborhood, intending to lead a peaceful, crime-free life. But his old gang buddies force him back into his old habits.

The Day of the Locust

The Day of the Locust

Hollywood, 1930s. Tod Hackett, a young painter who tries to make his way as an art director in the lurid world of film industry, gets infatuated with his neighbor Faye Greener, an aspiring actress who prefers the life that Homer Simpson, a lone accountant, can offer her.

The Last Angry Man

The Last Angry Man

In the midst of the Depression, a crotchety doctor, whose practice is in the Brooklyn slums, takes an interest in a local teenager, whose hostility and erratic behavior the doctor believes is due to more than just his environment.

The Forgotten

The Forgotten

Based on a story by Vietnam veteran Paul Staples, the film concerns six American Green Berets, held for 17 years in a Vietnamese POW camp. They are finally released in secret, during a delicate trade-talk session between Vietnam and the United States. Captain Tom Watkins, the ex-prisoners' CO, begins to suspect that government-man Adam Roth, who is in charge of the debriefing, may be pursuing a hidden agenda that will result in the early deaths of Watkins and the five men under his command.

Out of Bounds

Out of Bounds

Farm boy Daryl Cage's parents ship him off to the big city to live with his brother, hoping he will have a better life there. After a baggage mixup at the airport, Daryl finds himself in possession of a drug cache, which a ruthless drug dealer wants back. The dealer murders Daryl's brother and the small town boy ends up all alone in the big city, being pursued by both the drug dealer and the police, who suspect him of the murder.

Man from Reno

Man from Reno

A mystery outside of San Francisco brings together small-town sheriff Paul Del Moral, Japanese author Aki Akahori, and a traveler from Reno who soon disappears, leaving behind his suitcase and a trail of questions.

The Desperate Miles

The Desperate Miles

A disabled Vietnam vet sets out to prove that disabled people don't have to be helpless by starting a 180-mile trip in a wheelchair. On the way he finds his life is endangered by a deranged truck driver.

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez

Forced to run from Texas Rangers after a heated misunderstanding leads to the death of a lawman, Mexican American farmer Gregorio Cortez sets off in desperate flight, evading a massive manhunt on horseback for days. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts in 2016.

City in Fear

City in Fear

A psycho-on-the-loose story, about a burned-out newspaper columnist and his circulation-hungry publisher who wants him to turn the killer into Page One news.

The Gun

The Gun

The odyssey of an American handgun and the dramatic way it reshapes the lives of its various owners.

Seguin

Seguin

A dramatization of the life of Juan Seguin, a heroic Mexican-Texan who became entangled in the struggle between two contrasting cultures in the turbulent decade between the Texas Revolution (1836) and the Mexican-American War (1846-1847).

Roots of Blood

Roots of Blood

A deadly riot breaks out after unfair labor practices at a garment factory raises tensions between Mexican and Chicano workers.

Superpowerless

Superpowerless

A superhero loses his powers shortly after turning forty and must adjust to his new life.

The Planters

The Planters

Awkward telemarketer Martha Plant is down and out — sucking at her job and grieving her recently deceased parents. When she finds unlikely friendship in Sadie Mayflower, a bubbly vagrant with multiple personalities, Martha discovers having three friends in one may be more than she bargained for.

Road to Juarez

Road to Juarez

An American ex-con with Mexican underworld ties ensnares a pair of young misfits into a dangerous heist in Mexico. Inspired by true events.

From the Dead

From the Dead

After Janie accidentally murders her husband during disputed infidelity over a stripper, her husband's brother introduces her to an Aztec spell that resurrects him from the dead; Unfortunately, he returns to take revenge.